Beverage cooler



Dec., 5, 1950 JfW; PENNxNG BEVERAGE.' COOLER Filed April ll, 1946 Patented Dec. 5, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT `OFFICE y BEVERAGE COOLER Jackson W. Penningoseville, Mich. Application April 11, 1946, Serial No. 661,401

This invention relates to beverage coolers.

One object of this invention is to provide a beverage cooler which is free from cooling coils, thereby eliminating the diicult and troublesome operations of cleaning such coils.

Another object is to provide a beverage cooler, the interior of which is quickly exposed merely by removing a cover plate.

Another object is to provide a beverage cooler which is compact and requires very little space beneath the bar or other location where it is installed.

Another object is to provide a beverage cooler for beer and other beverages wherein the beer passes through an annular chamber which is cooled `at the inner and outer walls by a refrigerl ant passing through a central chamber and an outer annular chamber respectively.

Another object is to provide a beverage cooler as set forth in the preceding objects wherein the beer enters near the top of the annular E will become apparent during the course of the following description of the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a central vertical section through the beverage cooler, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal mid-section through the beverage cooler shown in Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary top plan view of the beverage cooler shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figure 1 shows a preferred embodiment of the beverage cooler I0 of this invention as consisting of a base plate II having an annular peripheral ridge I2 to which are secured, as by welding, cylindrical outer and inner casings I3 and i4 together forming an outer refrigerant container `and spaced apart from one another to provide The l an annular outer refrigerant chamber I5. upper end of the refrigerant chamber I5 is closed by an annular end ring I6 which is provided at intervals with threaded bores I'I in which are mounted threaded studs I8 carrying wing nuts I9. The latter are adapted to hold down a cover plate 20 having inner and outer flanges 2| and 22 respectively engaging the inner and outer walls of the inner and outer casings I4 and I3. The cover plate 20 is bored as at 23 for the passage of the studs I8 and an annular gasket 24 is mounted between the end ring I6 and the cover plate 20 to prevent leakage therebetween.

7 Claims. (Cl. (S2-141) The base plate II at its center is provided with a circular Iboss 25 to the periphery of which a dome-shapedclosed central casing or container 26 is secured, as by welding, thereby providing a central refrigerant chamber 2l. Refrigerant is withdrawn from the central and outer refrigerant chambers 2l and I5 through a passageway 28 having a threaded outlet opening 29 for connection to the refrigerating system and a pair of transverse vertical bores 3B and 3| leading into the outer and inner refrigerant chambers I5 and 2l respectively. Riser pipes 32 and 33 are secured, as by welding, within the bores 30 and 3| respectively for conducting refrigerant out of the upper portions of the refrigerant chambers I5 and 2l respectively. The hase plate II is likewise provided with a refrigerant supply passageway 34 with transverse vertical bores 35 and 3B leading therefrom to the central and outer refrigerant chambers 2l and I5 respectively.` The passageway 34 at its outer end leads to a threaded inlet opening 31 to which a refrigerant supply conduit is connected for conveying the refrigerant thereto from the refrigerating system. The gaseous refrigerant, after it has cooled the beverage in the annular beverage chamber 38 located between the outer and inner refrigerant chambers l5 and 2'.' respectively, returns to the refrigerating system through a conduit connected to the opening 2S. A beverage inlet conduit 39 leads through bores 43 and 4I in the outer and inner casings I3 and I4 respectively and is secured thereto as by welding, the outer end 42 being threaded for connection to the beverage supply line leading, for example, to the beer kegs. An air vent conduit 43 passes through holes 44 and 45 in the casings I3 and I4 and is secured thereto as by welding. The air vent conduit 43 on its outer end carries a cock 46 having an operating handle 4T for opening and closing the same. Ihe base plate i! is provided with a beverage outlet passageway 48 leading to a threaded beverage loutlet opening 49 to which an outlet conduit is connected through which the beer or other beverage passes on its way to the dispensing faucet at the bar.`

The refrigeration system for the beverage cooler I0 is of any conventional type and forms no part of the invention.

In the operation of the invention, a beverage, such as beer, is supplied to the beverage chamber 38 through thebeverage inlet pipe 33 and is permitted to substantially fill the chamber. While filling is taking place, the air vent cock 46 is opened by turning the handle 4l, thereby permitting the air displaced by the rising level of beverage in the chamber 38 to be discharged to the atmosphere. When the lling operation has been completed, the handle 4l is turned so as to close the vent cock 46. Meanwhile, refrigerant is admitted through the passageway 34 into the outer and central refrigerant chambers I5 and 2l respectively, cooling the walls I4 and 26 thereof, and thereby extracting heat from the beverage contained in the chamber 33. As the latter is dispensed, it is drawn off through the outlet conduit connected to the threaded opening t9 and passes to the faucet at the bar The beverage, if beer, deposits a scum on the walls of the chamber 38 which scum, if not removed every day or two, injuriously affects the taste of the beer. Accordingly, the beer cooler of the present invention is very useful in that it is easily cleaned at such frequent intervals. To clean the scum and other foreign matter from the chamber 38, the wing nuts i5 are unscrewed from the studs i3 and the cover plate `2Q lifted olf, exposing the chamber 38., The latter may then be cleaned out in the usual manner, removing the Scum and keeping the chamber 38 in a clean and sanitary condition. The pipes connected to the opening d5 and conduit @il may likewise be removed and cleaned, also the passageway @e and interior of the pipe 39. After cleaning, the cover plate 2E? is reinstalled upon the studs i8 and clamped in place by the wing nuts i9, whereupon the beverage cooler is again ready for filling in the previously described manner.

While I have shown and described my invention in detail, it is to be understood that the same is to be limited only by the appended claims, for many changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. A beverage cooler comprising a base member, an annular outer refrigerant container connected to said base member, a central refrigerant container likewise connected to said base member, the walls of said refrigerant containers defining a beverage chamber therebetween, means for supplying refrigerant to said refrigerant con.. tainers, and removable closure means engaging the open end of said beverage chamber, said base member having a beverage outlet passageway therethrough.

2. A beverage cooler comprising a base member, an annular outer refrigerant container connectedl to said base member, a central refrigerant container likewise connected to said base member, the walls of said refrigerant containers dening a beverage chamber therebetween, andl removable closure means engaging the open end of said beverage chamber, said base member having a refrigerant supply passageway therethrough leading to said refrigerant containers, said base member having a beverage outlet passageway therethrough.

3. A beverage cooler comprising a base member, an annular outer refrigerant container connected to said base member, a central refrigerant container likewise connected to said base member, the walls of said refrigerant containers denning a beverage chamber therebetween, andY removable closure means engaging the open end of said beverage chamber, said base member having a refrigerant supply passageway therethrough 4 leading to said refrigerant containers and a refrigerant discharge passageway therein leading outwardly from said refrigerant containers, said base member having a beverage outlet passageway therethrough.

4. A beverage cooler comprising a base member, an annular outer refrigerant container connected to said base member, a central refrigerant container likewise connected to said base member, the walls of said refrigerant containers defining a beverage chamber therebetween, and a removable cover plate clamped to said cooler and engaging the open end of said beverage chamber, said base member having a refrigerant supply passageway therethrough leading to said refrigerant containers.

5. A beverage cooler comprising a base member, an annular outer refrigerant container connected to said base member, a central refrigerant container likewise connected to said base member, the walls of said refrigerant containers defining a beverage chamber therebetween, means for supplying refrigerant to said refrigerant containers, and a removable cover plate clamped to said cooler and engaging the open end of said beverage chamber, said base member having a beverage outlet passageway therethrough.

A beverage cooler comprising a base member, an annular outer refrigerant container connec d to said base member, a central refrigerant container likewise connected to said base member, the walls of Vsaid refrigerant containers dea beverage chamber therebetween, and a removable cover plate clamped to said cooler and engaging the open end of said beverage chamber, said base member having a refrigerant supply passageway therethrough leading to said refrigerant containers and a refrigerant discharge passageway therein leading outwardly from said refrigerant containers.

'7. A beverage cooler comprising a basey membei',V an annLLlar outer refrigerant container connected to said base member, a central p refrigerant container likewise connected to said' file of this patent:

JACKSON'. W. PENNING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 535,526 Barron Mar. 12, 1895 655,613 Donges Aug. 7, 1900 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 450,254 Great Britain July 29, 1946' 

